The UFC's return to Mexico just got a boost, as the promotion announced that the co-main event will be a long-awaited lightweight fight between former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez. The news was announced by the UFC on Twitter: #UFC188 adds co-main event @GilbertMelendez vs @Ealvarezfight http://t.co/V9JT2WRrm9 pic.twitter.com/dujooi0XnZ — UFC News (@UFCNews) February 23, 2015 For hardcore MMA fans, this is a dream match between lightweight tale read news >>

The UFC has announced a big co-main event between top ranked lightweights, as they've re-booked Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez. Weren't we supposed to see this fight already? Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez have been teased as a potential must-see booking for years. Back when the men were champions in competing MMA organizations (Alvarez in Bellator and Melendez in Strikeforce) getting the two in the same cage seemed like something of a lost superfight. Time and Zuffa make all MMA fights read news >>

A trio of new fights have been added to the UFC's sophomore visit to Mexico City, highlighted by a sizzling co-main event bout between lightweight rivals Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez. The UFC confirmed the bout on Monday following an initial report by Mexican outlet Indiscutido. As former respective champions of Strikeforce and Bellator, Alvarez (25-4) and Melendez (22-4) have been angling for a fight for several years, dating back to the infancy of Bellator and former CEO Bjorn Rebney's d read news >>

Gilbert Melendez said he doesn't have any animosity toward Eddie Alvarez. Well, Alvarez might not exactly share that sentiment. Alvarez told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that he feels like Melendez is like "the high school cheerleader always trying to s*ck off the quarterback." The two former champions have feuded on social media and in the press for years. Both have agreed that now is the time to make the fight finally happen. "If he's not making headlines, he'll say he wan read news >>

And he accepts "El Nino's" challenge to a fight, though he'd like to get it on as soon as possible. Gilbert Melendez recently took it upon himself to call out former Bellator MMA lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, to a bout inside the Octagon now that both men are signed with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). For "El Nino," getting the chance to finally settle their differences inside the eight-walled cage in Mexico City this June would be ideal. Alvarez, though, says he doesn't want to wa read news >>

The MMA Hour is back in your life. Below is a rundown of Monday's show: 1:00 p.m. ET -- Veteran combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo will discuss Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz's drug test failures and other news. 1:25 p.m. -- UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy will also weigh in on the Silva news, plus talk about what's next for him. 1:45 p.m. -- Nutritionist and trainer George Lockhart will talk about working with Cris "Cyborg" Justino before her Invicta return on Feb. 27, as well as his other big- read news >>

Two former Latino champions fighting in Mexico? That sounds like a sure-fire recipe for success. Gilbert Melendez came up short in his second bid to capture Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gold after lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis, submitted "El Nino" in the second round of UFC 181 in Dec. 2014. To watch it again click here. A few months removed from the tough loss, Melendez is looking ahead to his next challenge inside the Octagon. And as he recently revealed during his guest spot on read news >>

If Gilbert Melendez has his way, fans will get to see that Strikeforce vs. Bellator superfight all these years later. Melendez told Ariel Helwani on Monday's The MMA Hour that he'd like his next fight to be against Eddie Alvarez at the proposed UFC 188 card in Mexico on June 13. Melendez was the Strikeforce lightweight champion from 2009 to 2012, while Alvarez held the Bellator lightweight belt from 2009 to 2011 and then again last year. The Melendez-Alvarez bout was proposed back then, but the read news >>